1. I had an interest exchange with some senior Zanu PF leader this week. I had been ignoring their unsolicited DM for weeks until I felt like telling them off so they leave me alone. Sadly I didn't know I could end up having some very interesting discussion.
2. The fellow thought I had some leverage on the MDCA and argued that the continued lack of legitimacy of our electoral system was not only causing serious damage to the Country but also both Zanu PF and MDC.
3. He thinks it is in the best interest of both political formations for the Country's electoral system to gain some legitimacy to the system. His argument is that Zanu PF is in flames because of this legitimacy question.
4. He argues that the average Zanu PF failthful is actually wants to have a legitimately elected leader and there will likely be a lot of protest votes or apathy in 2023 unless the legitimacy issues are settled.
5. On the other hand, he also believes that the MDCA faces similar protest votes or apathy because many supporters and sympathizers are now convinced that they votes don't really matter.
6. His suggestion was that the best way forward is for the Country to come up with a bipartisan electoral reform project but feels that it should be done outside Parliament. This is where the discussion became really interesting.
7. I was surprised that someone who has served as a legislator before and whose political party controls both houses of Parliament would suggest a electoral reform that bypasses parliament. His response was strange.
8. He is convinced that some of the most effective minds that could help craft a much more progressive electoral system are outside parliament. This made me ask him a curious question. What qualifies one to be a legislator in Zimbabwe?
9. His response was as honest and brutal as they come. 90% of Zanu PF legislators are deadwood he claims. He can't speak for the other side but believes he wouldn't be shocked if they have the same problem.
10. I pushed back hard and suggested that he was accusing the electorate of being uninformed and to my shock he stated that we have an uninformed electorate in Zimbabwe and he shoulders the blame.
11. He challenged me to conduct a simple research. What do ordinary people expect from their MP? He argues that I should not be surprised that 90% of the responses would be wrong answers.
12. This got me thinking. What exactly are our civil society organization doing about this apparent electoral illiteracy in Zimbabwe? We surely have one of the highest concentration of civil society organizations in Africa. Why would they not focus on such a high priority area?
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
1/ I found time to read the SADC observers report after the devastating announcement. I must admit, some of the issues in Mr. Nervous Mumba's report left me very nervous.
2. Three issues, in particular, stood out for me. 1. The issue of exhorbitant candidate registration fees. 2. The delimitation report. 3. The Judges financial incentives.
All these issues were dealt with by our Courts. How did they end up in this report?
3/ Granted that these issues were raised by stakeholders, wouldn't it be sufficient to state that these issues were settled in our Courts?
1/ I have noted that a lot of Zimbabweans have a number of questions about the Sinopharm vaccine. I have also noticed that there is also a lot of myths l, conspiracies and outright #Fakenews on this vaccine. Let me attempt to address these in this thread.
2/ No Zimbabwean will be used as a guinea pig for the Vaccine #Fact. This vaccine has been proven to be very safe in millions around the World. The safety studies are conducted in Phase 1 of Clinical Trials and any substance that fails those studies never ptogresses
3/ What about the elderly and the young? There is not enough evidence on safety of this vaccine in those under 18 or over 60. As a result some authorities have recommended this vaccine for those between the ages of 18 and 60.
1. I have been following the visit to Karanda Mission Hospital by @NgarivhumeJacob. He witnessed a number of people from all over Zimbabwe who are camping at this Mission Hospital because it is probably the only public health facility with a good reputation around the Country.
2. Zimbabweans owe some gratitude to not only Karanda Mission Hospital but almost every mission hospital around Zimbabwe for their attempts to keep providing services to the poorest Zimbabweans under the most trying and difficult circumstances.
3. I want to also applaud my that amazing organization @assoczach which has been doing its best to help maintain the best standards of care at these Mission Hospitals. I am grateful for the opportunity to have served as a Board Member of this important organization.
1/ Back in the 80s I was a member of our village acapela Christian group known as the Voice of Praise. I will narrate how in one night I used my conflict resolution skills to get the group back together but ended up resigning from them on the same night.
2/ Those of us from Nkayi and surrounding areas are familiar with the famous Harmony Sounds and their song "Ukuqala kwesiphetho". Our group sang almost the same songs and was a household name in Silobela, Zhombe and Lower Gwelo areas. I missed out on their many tours.
3/ The group was formed by my relatives and was composed of as many as 25 members. It helped keep many a naughty village boy on the straight and narrow. When I went to secondary school I ended up moving from the village to Bulawayo. My arrival in Bilawayo is a thread on its own.
1/6 Heavily armed gang at a Church Headquarters. This story may have been drowned by many other International news headlines but is very important for us in Southern Africa. A thread.
2/6 This is an internal leadership feud gone wrong as a result of a failed succession planning. This is not new to most Indigenous Churches in this part of the World as evidenced by the Guta Ramwari circus as well as many other Indigenous Churches in Zimbabwe.
3/6 An armed gang had gone to the Headquarters of the International Pentecostal Church (IPC) previously known as the International Pentecostal Holiness Church (IPHC) to try and take control on behalf of a faction of the Church.
1/9 There are certain man who are extremely jealous on behalf of their wive's little sisters. I don't know what kind of mental illness they suffer from. This is a thread about how I almost got killed by a very jealous man using a double edged sword.
2/9 I was a third year student on attachment at Ndanga hospital the place of my forefathers. I was two of my besties one hailing from Ngomahuru, the other from Chegato. Our Ngomahuru guy had a homegirl who worked as a rehab technician at the hospital.
3/9 On this particular Sunday our Ngomahuru friend tells us we have been invited for lunch at her homegirl's home. It turns out her young sister who was our friend's brother's ex had come for a visit. I didn't tried to excuse myself but I was outvoted.